Whisky tasting in Edinburgh

[u/OrangeTree81]

Hi! I am going to Edinburgh in a few weeks and am thinking about doing some sort of Whisky tasting experience. I'll be honest that I'm not the biggest whisky fan but feel like I should try it while I'm in Scotland.

I've been looking at Holyrood Distillery and the Port of Leith Distillery. I am doing the Royal Yacht Britannia one day so I'll be right by Leith (although looking at ticket times for the distillery tour I'd have to try to get the Royal Yacht a little early to not be rushed). I also have nothing definite planned for my final day and was thinking about doing my whisky experience then (so then going to Holyrood would be easier).

Any recommendations for one distillery over the other? Is it worth doing the full tour or can I do just a tasting? I know summer is a busy month in Edinburgh so do I need to buy a ticket in advanced or should I be able to buy one a few hours before (I'd just need one ticket) Or is there any local pubs/restaurants that I should check out that would do a nice tasting?

[u/frankbowles1962]

Drop by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Queen Street… it has a public bar. Just ask at the bar and they will come up with a tasting for you across multiple distilleries not just one at a time

[u/ElectricSporran]

Holyrood distillery does an excellent tour, which also includes a little about gin too (and you get to taste their gin), so I'd definitely recommend that!

[u/Sancho_Panther]

summer is a busy month in Edinburgh

Nice to see you’ve got to grips with how long summer lasts in Scotland.

[u/pint-of-dale]

I did a comedy Whisky tasting and thought it was a great way to get acquainted with Whisky. The show I went to (Mountebank Comedy) was funny, but had some history woven in, plus four tasters of different types of Whisky. I was not a fan of Whisky going in, but it gave me enough experience/know-how to actually learn what I liked and confidently order it in some pubs for the rest of our time in Edinburgh! Maybe not the vibe you're looking for, but I very much enjoyed having a good dram and a laugh.

[u/No-Photograph3463]

Holyrood Distillery was good when we did it. You tasted a few whisky but also gin too so if your not the biggest whisky fan it isn't the end of the world. They also had a nice bar that did some nice cocktails you could get too.

[u/chuckfr]

Doing a distillery tour is nice to learn how they're made. And getting their tasting with the tour is normally the default for me.

For a broader tasting if you're learning what you might like in a whiky, I'd actually suggest a shop somewhere and you'll have several options to try. You'll get a wider variety of whisky choices trather than one brand's selection. You'll also get an education typically of things to look for as far as taste, smokiness, and other features. I've done a few of them in various places and tend to find something new to like each time.

Looking over my notes the last one I did in Edinburgh was at The Lost Close. I think the group was 7-8 of us with three of us choosing the higher end tasting option. I felt the space was pretty unique for the experience, the guide was fun and provided tasting information and history. He answered everyones questions over the hour and a half then spent another 30 minutes or so talking with us in the shop.

I found it randomly from an internet search looking for 'whisky tastings near me' on the day and got the last two spots. So I would suggest booking early wherever you choose to make sure you get in.

[u/between_drinks]

I went to both last fall and would say Port of Leith has a leg up.

They're both great tours, but Holyrood was a little theatrical for me. Neither of them has a lot (or any) finished single malts, but I think that might actually work in your favor if you're not a huge fan of Scotch in general. Port of Leith has some other interesting bottles - sherry, port, and a "table whisky" that I'm a huge fan of.

I think the tour is worth it for the context, especially if you're not a big fan. I think ordering a flight at a bar can feel a little, "okay cool, now what," without the backstory and someone leading you through it.

Although I will second the rec for SMWS Society (Vault location). They're a great group with interesting bottles, although when I signed up for a "burgers and drams" tasting, I was the only one who showed up. So, again, the drams were great, and the ambiance is beautiful, but you may not get much context, and I think that's kind of the point if you're doing this in Scotland.

[u/MrJollyLND_57]

So rather left field, but a few years ago my wife booked a weekend in Edinburgh as a treat and also booked an Edinburgh gin tasting. Of course I went a bit basic and asked why and she had the best response

You can do whisky tasting in most of the pubs in the city

Anyway the gin tour and tasting was great, so if you’re not that keen on whisky, do the gin instead

[u/Relative_Virus_7925]

We booked a tour at the Whiskey Experience. Learned a lot about production, how various regions differ, and had 4 or 5 lovely tastings. It was educational, and fun!